Just us three
by agrolover7
Summary: Mono seeks the only man who can help her restore Wander.


**Just us three**

His basket of fruit now full, Hurashi began the long walk back to his home. The trail was muddy, his sandals barely preventing his feet being covered in the brown sludge.

He sighed as he pondered crossing the river. He had barely made it across the first time, and the thought of having to cross it on the return had been enough to keep him picking fruit until the sun had finally slipped below the horizon line.

Usually, crossing the shallow river was a pleasure, the cool transperant water would run across his feet, never higher then his ankles.

But today had been different.

Widespread dark clouds, howling storms and relentless rain had plauged the town for nearly a week, causing the river to become a ferocious and dangerous sight. The banks were filled to the point of overflow, and the water was gushing along fast and strong enough to carry a weaker man along.

Hurashi had lived in the same town for nearlly fifteen years, and he had only seen conditions like this once before.

As he rounded a bend in the path, it became narrow and up ahead he saw the river. It looked even more furocious then it had before. He struggled with duel feelings of fear and excitment at the idea of crossing it again. Earlier that morning he had almost lost his footing and been carried away multiple times and the thrill of how close he came sent shivers down his spine.

This time, now that he had the fruit in one hand, balencing would be even harder.

He approached the bank and stood on the waters edge. His legs and body were sprayed with water as it crashed up against the side of the bank. He knew that if he hesitated he might lose his nerve, so he grit his teeth and put his right foot foward, plunging it down and out of sight.

The shock of the icy water on his leg demanded his complete focus, and for a moment he almost forgot what he was doing.

With his fruit basket still firmly in his grip, he put his other leg in, and began walking across the river bed. With every step he dug he feet as far as he could into the sand. With only a few steps he was already waist deep, the river pushing him, trying to make him fall. The river was indeed wilder then it had been on his earlier journey.

Suddently the scale of fear and excitment begin to to tip towards fear. He forced his legs in front of each other, one step at a time, but he was barely halfway across. With a glance to one side he took a sharp breath and braced himself for the wave that was rolling towards him. In but a moment it was upon him and with a brutal thud he was hit. The fruit basket, which took much of the pressure, fell from his grip and he watched helplessly as an afternoon's worth of apple pickings were swept away down stream.

As he watched the red and green fruits floating away from him, it looked almost beautiful, and for a moment he was still.

Without realising what had happened, another wave struck from behind and Hurashi was thrown completely off balence. He dug one foot in the sand in a last ditch effort to remain standing. For a moment his balence was tested, and then he submitted to the wave.

Hurashi desperately started swimming to one side, fighting against the brutal current. Although it was pulling him downstream, he was slowly clawing his way towards the other side.

When his fingertips finally found fresh dirt, he pulled himself up to the shore and took a deep, greatful breath of fresh air and crawled futher up the bank.

When he was a safe distance away, he turned over and looked back towards that which had tried to consume him. The river simply raged on,seemingly unphased that it's latest victim had escaped.

Hurashi lay still for quite some time, focusing on nothing except the feeling of happiness to be alive and out of the water.

After some time he got to his feet and began to walk up the river bank, searching for the path. The path was a fair way ahead and he was amazed that the river had carried him so far in only a few short seconds.

As he turned onto the path and began the last stretch of the journey home, he stoped short. Standing a short distance ahead of him was a figure dressed in a body legh white robe. He could not see the face within the robe.

Suddently the sense of fear returned to him.

_Who would possibly come this far out of town, so late in the afternoon?_ He thought.

As Hurashi remained still, the figure began briskly walking towards him. Despite wanting to say something, despite wanting to run, all he could do was remain still. The presense of this stranger had struck fear into his heart, but he had no idea why.

'Mr Hurashi?' The figure said in a low, female voice.

'Yes?' said Hurashi.

As the figure got closer, he could see that she was holding something. It appeared to be a bundle of fabric.

'As I hoped,' the figure said. She stopped a few steps short of Hurashi, yet he still could not see her face under the darkness of the cloak. 'I have travelled far so that I might find you and seek your help.'

'My help?' Hurashi felt his skin prickling.

'Yes. In my childhood days I grew up in Sarkia, a town not far from where you live, Mr Hurashi. While I left there at a young age, I remember hearing rumors of a man from here who had met the Guardians himself... A man who knew deep and powerful magic.. To be used for healing.'

Hurashi was surprised, he had not practaced magic for nearlly 10 years and everyone in his town knew why.

'I don't do that anymore,' he said. 'I have not healed another in many years.'

The figure was silent for several seconds.

'Why?'

Hurashi gritted his teeth. 'Because things go wrong. Magic is far from perfect.'

The figure was silent for several more seconds. 'Your house is not far. Let's go there and talk further. I have travelled far to find you Hurashi.'

Hurashi nodded slightly, and, with his head down, began walking along side the figure. The rain seemed to be stronger then it had all week. The trees were shaking and screeching, the rain beating across the land in waves.

Through the density of it all, he could see his home ahead. It was a small hut at the crossloads leading into down, down to Sarkia, and back towards the river.

As they approached he opened the door, took off his sandles and walked inside. The figure followed, also taking off her sandles and leaving them by the door.

Once inside, Hurashi took a seat and gestured for the figure to sit across from him.

'What is it exactly that you want?' Hurashi said. As he looked up, his heart began to beat faster, as he saw that even though he was sitting a few feet from the figure, her face was still completely covered in darkness.

'I need your help.'

The figure removed the fabric she had in her hands and uncovered what was inside.

Laying comfortably, sleeping somehow through the storm, was a baby. As Hurashi looked in surprise he noticed that this was no normal baby. This baby had horns, one of which was severely damaged.

'A terrible curse has been placed on ths child,' the figure said. 'He is very, very sick. I need you, Mr Hurashi, to perform your magic and make him healthy again.'

'I can't,' said Hurashi flattly.

'I know you are able, Mr Hurashi,' said the figure. 'I know you are able, becuase I know that you have done this before. You can fix this child.'

Hurashi's head fell into his hand. 'You don't understand. I do not engage in this anymore... I can't...'

For perhaps a minute the two sat in complete silence, with Hurashi's head in his hands and the figure staring blankly ahead.

'I know why. I know why you can't bring yourself to do this anymore.

Hurahsi remained silent. Perhaps she was bluffing.

The figure leant foward ever so slightly, 'I know what happened to _her.'_

Hurashi's blood went cold as he heard the referense to his wife. 'Don't speak of it,' he said with a low voice.

'You havn't done magic since the day you... since the day she....'

Hurashi gritted his teeth..

The figure leant back slightly. 'You were trying to save your wife's life, but it went wrong and she died. This is not your fault. If your wife were here today, she would be greatful that you almost saved her life.'

Hurashi remained silent.

'The boy I am holding in my hands,' the figure's voice shook for a moment, perhaps betraying a hurt she had inside... a hurt that was mirrored by Hurashi. 'This boy... He saved me.'

Hurashi contemplated the situation he was in. He had not done magic for so long, and he feared he would not be practaced enough to heal the child properly.

'I'm sorry,' he said, 'I can't do it. I don't have the confidence, and it could go seriously wrong.'

'The figure stood up, and placed the wrappings with the baby onto the table in front of them. 'I don't hold you responsible for the risk. This is what I want you to do. I want you to attempt to reverse this curse.'

Hurashi took a deep breath. 'Are you sure? Because whatever happens... including his possible death... is irreversable. I cannot restore people from the dead.'

'Awakening the dead is a darker art then the one you practace, Hurashi.'

'Indeed it is,' Hurashi said. 'I will attempt to bring this boy back to his former health. But on one condition... You must remain in the next room until the process in completed.'

'Yes.. Okay.' The figure pulled something out from inside her cloak. 'These are boy's clothes...' She placed them on the table.'

'Good luck,' she said.

Hurashi nodded and gestured to the door leading into the next room. The figure walked over and, with one last look at the baby on the table, opened the door and went inside, closing it behind her.

Hurashi sat still in front of the child for several minutes before finally focusing his energy on the curse that was surrounding him. Hurashi could see it around the child's body. Whoever had cursed him had meant it, as it was a powerful one. Hurashi had seen quite a few curses of this strengh in his time, and he knew he could get rid of it.

He began to focus on healing powers, and attemped to uncling the curse from the child's body.

Suddently he cried out as pain he could barely imagine filled every oriface of his body. He fell sideways off his chair and onto the floor, shaking wildly. As he lay there in agony, he watched as the child began to tranform before his eyes. Though the pain within him was so great, he was transfixed as, within a mere few seconds, the child's whole body became a dark black, and grew into a much bigger size.

As the figure reached an adult age it stopped growing, and the his coloring return. He lay still and silent on the table. His eyes were open.

As Hurashi looked at the boy's face, fear completely took over. He knew that boy... That was the boy who, only a year ago, had supposedly freed Dormin. This was the boy who had stolen the King's sword and trekking into the forbiddon lands to strike a deal with the darkest entity known to anyone. Hurashi had seen the boy grow up, and had never suspected he could do such a thing, and yet it had taken place.

The King had said that Dormin was now contained and that the boy responsiblen had been punished and locked away for life... And yet here he was, laying on Hurashi's oen table.

Hurashi withered in pain. The curse was attacking his body now, and he was completely unable to move.

Slowly, the boy picked himself up and began to put on the clothes that lay beside him. As he did, the door to the other room burst open and the figure walked out. The boy's head turned towards her.

She lowered her cloak, and for the first time Hurashi saw her pale face, her purple eyes.

A single tear rolled down her cheek. 'Wander...'

'Mono,' the boy said.

The girl, Mono, raced towards him and jumped into his arms. He hugged her so tightly.

'What happened, Mono? I remember nothing after I was... attacked.'

'You saved me... It worked.'

He took a step back, almost in shock at what she had said. 'It worked? It worked... You're here... Oh Mono,' he embracced her again, so tightly.

She held his hand. 'I've missed you so dearly, my love... but we must go now. It's not safe here.'

Without another glace at Hurashi, together they ran out of the building and outside. The rain had stopped, but the aftermath of the weather was the same.

'Mono, where are we? Are we still in the forbiddon lands?'

'No... we escaped that dark place. And now we must go as far away from here as we possibly can.'

Mono took his hand and lead him a little way down the track, then took a left into the trees. Suddently Wander fell to his knees. 'Mono...'

'Are you okay?'

'Mono... I...'

She looked into the eyes of Wander, and saw the stirrings of deep pain.

Slowly he opened his mouth, though it seemed near impossible for him to get the words out. 'I... When I was there... when I was saving you... I.... I lost Agro... He saved me... He saved my life... But he died. I didn't even have time to think about it, I needed to fight _the last one_, and return to you... but... He's gone, and he didn't deserve the fate I led him into.'

Mono stared deep into the eyes of her love. 'Wander...'

She grasped his hand and pulled him up, running foward into a clearing.

On the other side of the clearning, standing and waiting patiently for his masters, was a dark horse with a white patch on his nose.

'Agro!' Wander cried with heart. The horse neighed delightedly and ran towards Wander.

Wander hugged and patted him. 'I've missed you greatly...' He turned to Mono. 'I've missed you both, so much.'

As Mono approached, he put his hands on her face. 'Were going to go somewhere quiet and peaceful, and live there forever,' he said. 'Just us three.'

Mono smiled. 'Just us three.'


End file.
